Powered rotor for row crop harvesters

ABSTRACT

A powered rotor is provided on the cropward divider of a rowcrop harvester and is driven at a peripheral speed slightly faster than the speed of the conveyor chain mounted on this divider. The rotor is located intermediate the ends of the divider and projects upwardly with a forward inclination through an inwardly inclined sheet metal panel of the cropward divider. The rotor comprises preferably four equally spaced paddles defining undulant surface area which are effective to shake the stalks which ride up the divider from entanglement with the standing crops in the adjacent row.

United States Patent 11 1 Knapp 1 POWERED ROTOR FOR ROW CROP HARVESTERS[75] Inventor: William H. Knapp, Naperville, Ill.

[73] Assignee: International Harvester Company,

Chicago, 111.

[22] Filed: Jan. 10, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 322,326

[52] US. Cl. 56/98 [51] Int. Cl A01d 45/02 [58] Field of Search 56/135,13.9, 14.1, 14.2, 56/143, 51, 64, 66, 94, 98, 99, 103, 104, 106,109,111,364

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,388,538 6/1968 Markham56/98 3,339,354 9/1967 Kessler 3,654,752 4/1972 Segredo 1,758,557 5/1930Bullock 2,507,540 5/1950 Nolt 908,637 1/1909 Appleby 56/33 W I I 1451Apr. 16, 1974 2,325,197 3/1956 Smith 56/33 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,044,516 10/1966 Great Britain 56/98 PrimaryExaminer-Russell R. Kinsey Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Dennis K. Sullivan;Floyd B. Harman [5 7] ABSTRACT A powered rotor is provided on thecropward divider of a row-crop harvester and is driven at a peripheralspeed slightly faster than the speed of the conveyor chain mounted onthis divider. The rotor is located intermediate the ends of the dividerand projects upwardly with a forward inclination through an inwardlyinclined sheet metal panel of the cropward divider. The rotor comprisespreferably four equally spaced paddles defining undulant surface areawhich are effective to shake the stalks which ride up the divider fromentanglement with the standing crops in the adjacent row. l

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures POWERED ROTOR FOR ROW CROP HARVESTERS CROSSREFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is related to anapplication entitled POWERED ROTOR FOR ROW CROP HARVEST- ERS ANDSTRIPPER BAR THEREFOR, Ser. No. 322,578 filed Jan. 10, 1973, by DonaldP. Storm, Ronald F. Zitko, and John D. Segredo and assigned to theassignee hereof.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART As presently known to Applicant, poweredrotors or posts are known in the art and are positioned at the rear endof thecropward divider in the corner formed between the divider and thetransversely extending guide structure which is intended to guide theupper ends of the stalks into the throat of the harvester and prostratethe stalks to enter butt end first. This is exem plified in US Pat. No.3,388,538 to Markham. It has been found that the position andconstruction of such prior art posts obtains limited utility. Alsoclosely spaced ribs on the post develop during rotation an essentiallycontinuous peripheral surface which merely abrades the stalk. Theplacementof the post at the upper rear end of the divider fails todisentangle the stalk from the adjacent row before pulling on the stalkdraped over the divider and stripping the corn off the stalk before thestalk is wedged up and into the plant passage of the row crop gatheringdevice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with row cropharvesters for plants such as corn and specifically in the provision ofmeans for disentangling stalks which are bent into adjacent rows ofplants.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism whichshakesthe stalks loose and thus disentangles the same from an adjacentrow of plants while such stalk is being pulled into the plant passage.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel rotor orpost on the cropward divider of a harvester gathering mechanism, therotor having relatively few peripheral paddles, preferably four or lessin number so the paddles and intervening spaces provide an undulatingprofile during rotation of the rotor.

A further object is to provide such a powered rotor for engagement witha stalk which has its root end portion within the plant passage of theharvester and its intermediate portion draped over the divider and itsupper portion entangled in the standing crops in the adjacent row, therotor rapidly shaking the stalk and thus loosening it from the standingcropsand then after loosening the stalk propelling the loosened upperportion of the stalk into the plant passage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a powered rotor on thecropward gathering point of a harvester and position the same normal tothe upward and rearward inclination of the divider in an area betweenthe front and rear ends of the gathering point as tests have dictatedobtains optimum effectiveness in dislodging stalks from entanglementwith plants in an adjacentrow.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed bythe invention will become more readily apparent from the specificationand drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a forage harvester gathering headincorporating my novel invention, and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front perspective view of the structure of FIG.1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Having reference to the drawings, there isshown a forage harvesting head generally designated 2 for gathering rowcrop material such as corn stalks generally indicated at 4 which areplanted in rows and are adapted to be aligned with a plant passage 6defined between an outboard divider 8 and a center divider 10. It willbe noted that a two row head is shown; however, the invention is equallyapplicable to a single row harvester as well as a multirow.

The gathering divider 8 has a forward point 12 with a bottom runner orshoe 13 which is connected to a framework 14. The framework 14 comprisesa pair of rearwardly diverging inner and outer beams 16 and 18interconnected at their forward ends. The inner beam is secured to thelower edge of a generally vertically disposed lower sheet metal panelguide portion 20 of the divider. The upper edge of the portion 20 mergesinto a lower edge of a diagonal upwardly and laterally extending sheetmetal upper guide portion generally designated 22 which terminates in anupper rolled edge portion 24. The diagonal portion 22 comprises aforward section 22F and a rear section 22R. The section 22F divergescropwardly away from the plant passage 6 and narrows forwardly andmerges into the point 12.

The conventional arrangement of chains 26, 27 and 28 are provided on theoutboard and center dividers respectively which are adapted to grasp thestalks therebetween and pull them into the cutters (not shown) and guidethe cut crops onto a table 30 provided in the present instance on thecenter divider for delivery therefrom into a throat structure 32 whereatthe plants are conveyed to other processing components such as achopper.

One of the principal features of the instant invention is the provisionof a power rotor or post 35 and its positioning intermediate the ends ofthe outboard divider. The rotor 35 has a core 36 with preferably fouraxial elongated equally spaced radially extending paddles 38. The rotorextends through an oval shaped opening 40 (FIG. 2) in the diagonal guideportion 22R substantially medially between the upper and lower edges 44and 45 thereof. As best seen in FIG. 1 the rotor has an axis of rotationnormal to the planes of the chains which extend diagonally upwardly andrearwardly from their lower forward ends 46 and 48 which are locatedadjacent to the ground. The axis of rotation designated X-X of the rotoris inclined upwardly and forwardly and the upper half 50 of the rotorprojects above the portion 22R and the uppermost part of the rotorextends above the upper rolled edge 24 as best seen in FIG. 1. The rotor35 is located approximately medially on the outboard divider 8 and ispreferably located such that, when the row crop unit is viewed in itsoperating position, as shown in the drawings, the top of the rotor 35will be adjacent to or a short distance rearward of the knee 29 of thecenter divider 10, that is, the point where the linear direction of thegathering chain 28 changes.

The paddle arrangement provides an effective undulant surface which asthe unit travels forwardly agitates. or shakes the intermediate portion52 of a stalk which is draped over the outboard divider, the stalkhaving its upper end portion 60 entangled in the stalks of the cropwardrow 61 and its butt end 56 first anchored by its roots 58 to the groundand then severed at the roots 58. The combination of shaking of theentangled stalks and of the forward motion of the unit wedging theoutboard divider beneath the stalks, causes such entangled stalks toloosen and be guided into the plant passage. The standing stalks in therow 4 which are aligned with the passage are accommodated for normalpassage therethrough, with the upper ends of such stalks being guided bythe forwardly divergent prostrating bar 62 which is mounted adjustablyfrom the gathering head framework by a support 63 in a positionforwardly and above the divider-interconnecting cross-member 64 of thegathering head.

The power rotor or post 35 is provided at its upper and lower ends withstub shafts 65, 67 connected to respective ends of the core.

The upper stub shaft 65 is mounted in a bearing 68 which is secured to abracket 70. The bracket 70 is a generally triangular structure in topview and has an apex 72 directly above the power rotor and widensdivergingly rearwardly to expose the front and sides of the rotor. Atthe rear of the bracket it is secured by suitable means such as rivetsor bolts to the adjacent portions of the outboard divider. A side sheet71 having a stripper bar 73 formed on its forward portion is adjustablymounted as by a slotted hole beneath the bracket 70 and extendssidewardly, rearwardly and downwardly to the rear portion of the inwardside of divider 8 whereat it is adjustably mounted thereto as by slottedbolt holes. The stripper bar section 73 is preferably formed by bendingthe forward edge of the side sheet 71 in a direction forward of the sidesheet and inward toward the rotor 35. The angled stripping edge thusformed facilitates adjustment of the stripper bar with respect to therotor when the stripper bar becomes worn. The stripper bar section 73 ispreferably reinforced by angle iron and has a stripping edge parallel toand slightly to the rear of the axis of the rotor 35 and is placed inclose proximity to the periphery thereof. Thus, as the stalks pass tothe inward side of the rotor 35, they are removed therefrom by thestripper bar 73 and guided to the rear by the side sheet 71.

The lower shaft 67 is carried in a bearing 74 which is mounted to aframe structure 75 of the divider framework. Shaft 67 is connected to asprocket 77 which is driven by a chain 79 from a sprocket 80 which isconnected to a shaft 82 which mounts a sprocket 83 for driving the upperchain 27. The shaft 82 is driven in usual manner from a power sourceeither on the harvester or from the towing tractor as well understood inthe art. It will be noted that the peripheral speed of the rotor isslightly in excess of the linear speed of the chains such that a shakingmotion can be imparted to the stalks engaged thereby. A shield 84 isinterposed between the rotor 35 and the sprocket 77 to protect thesprocket from loose material which may slip down the rotor. Preferably,the shield 84 is disposed above the chain 77 and is in the form of aninverted cup having a diameter approximately euqal to that of thepaddles 38 mounted to the bottom thereof.

It will be noted that the relationship of the rotor to the crop guidesurface on portion 22F is such that a greater portion of the rotor isexposed toward the plant passage than to the adjacent row. Thus thestalks in the row in the passage are engaged at their lower thickerportions. Any plants from the adjacent row which have their head orupper ends draped over the divider will have minimal exposure to therotor surface and if engaged with the side facing such adjacent row willbe thrown forwardly of the divider.

What is claimed is:

l. A row crop gathering head for a forage harvester comprising:

a plurality of dividers defining plant passage means therebetween, oneof said dividers having a front end, a rear end, and an upper edgeangling upwardly from said front end to said rear end, said one of saiddividers providing a crop guiding surface sloping from the adjacentplant passage means laterally diagonally upwardly to said upper edge;and,

a powered plant-disentangling rotor having a peripheral undulatingsurface, said rotor being supported on said one of said dividersapproximately medially between the front and rear ends of said divider,said rotor projecting upwardly through said crop guiding surface, saidcrop guiding surface subtending said rotor in a diagonal plane andexposing a relatively large surface area of the rotor on the passagemeans side and a small surface area on the opposite side.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and gathering chains mountedon at least one of said dividers, said powered rotor being driven at aperipheral speed exceeding the linear speed of said chain.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and said rotor having aplurality of axially elongated spaced paddles defining a peripheralundulating surface.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 3 and said rotor having amaximum of four paddles.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and the other of saiddividers having a knee, the upper portion of said powered post beingpositioned slightly rearward of said knee.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and said powered motorextending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal inclination ofsaid divider.

IO! i i *1 III

1. A row crop gathering head for a forage harvester comprising: aplurality of dividers defining plant passage means therebetween, one ofsaid dividers having a front end, a rear end, and an upper edge anglingupwardly from said front end to said rear end, said one of said dividersprovidiNg a crop guiding surface sloping from the adjacent plant passagemeans laterally diagonally upwardly to said upper edge; and, a poweredplant-disentangling rotor having a peripheral undulating surface, saidrotor being supported on said one of said dividers approximatelymedially between the front and rear ends of said divider, said rotorprojecting upwardly through said crop guiding surface, said crop guidingsurface subtending said rotor in a diagonal plane and exposing arelatively large surface area of the rotor on the passage means side anda small surface area on the opposite side.
 2. The invention inaccordance with claim 1 and gathering chains mounted on at least one ofsaid dividers, said powered rotor being driven at a peripheral speedexceeding the linear speed of said chain.
 3. The invention in accordancewith claim 1 and said rotor having a plurality of axially elongatedspaced paddles defining a peripheral undulating surface.
 4. Theinvention in accordance with claim 3 and said rotor having a maximum offour paddles.
 5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and the otherof said dividers having a knee, the upper portion of said powered postbeing positioned slightly rearward of said knee.
 6. The invention inaccordance with claim 1 and said powered motor extending substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal inclination of said divider.